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This devotional address entitled, The Commanding Image of Christ, was given on November

16th of 1965 by Truman G. Madsen, then a professor of philosophy at Brigham Young University.

I'd like to begin this morning with a stand-up question.

And this is not a trick question.

I'd like all converts who are present,

converts by reason of the missionary program,

to please stand up.

Thank you. As I visited some 100 campuses in New England,

and as we gathered one of a campus and two of a fraternity into the church,

I was aware of contrasts. I'd like you to listen to a comment of Gordon Alport,

a healthy-minded psychologist at Harvard with whom I had a conversation just before we left to return.

I told about a student who was a, as he put it, beaming co-ed, who came in and said,

I just can't tell you how much I enjoy my existential despair.

Not long after I heard one of our more profound American philosophers, Al Cap, say this about the present situation.

He said, we have to make a decision in this country.

Whether the Vietnam War is to be handled by Pete Seeger and Joan Baez,

or by four-star generals in the Pentagon,

not one of whom has a hit record.

I... I, aware of this contrast of light and darkness sat down one day and wrote a fable.

I would like you to have a little fun with this because all too soon I'm going to be very

...